I largely agree with you about this. and I’d like to respond to two of your threads together, so I’ll link the other one in the next tweet. https://twitter.com/temasmith/status/1335957638899765250

Here’s the other thread. People following along, please read this one too: https://twitter.com/temasmith/status/1335860803874930689

One of the reasons I have a problem with this is that it was a contextless op ed.

There are so many issues that are worth discussing, and this op ed did not remotely do them justice — in significant part *because* it was an op ed.

This could have been a round table on Jewish perspectives on Hanukkah, of LGBTQ Jewish perspectives on Hanukkah, of perspectives on Hanukkah from people who grew up in interfaith families (whether or not they currently identify as Jewish).

That would have been worthwhile.

This could have been an article in which a journalist interviewed people from various perspectives on Hanukkah.

It could have been about Jewish perspectives in general, LGBTQ Jewish perspectives, or interfaith perspectives etc.

It could have been contextualized appropriately.

The publication of this article reflects a pattern at the New York Times.

When they treat Jews as interesting, it’s nearly always about either food or alienation.

That’s a problem.

Why is the New York Times so uninterested in the perspectives of Jews who like being Jewish, have a strong Jewish community, participate in communities, see learning Torah as part of who they are, or value practicing Judaism?

And it’s not just the New York Times.

This attitude towards Jews is pervasive — including from a lot of Jewish leaders.